Rubber footwear



Aug. 21,' 1923.

` W. B. WIEGAND RUBBER FOOTWEAR Filed Nov. 20

Patented iiiigp,` l 1923.

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'ambie-fi B fiiieeelilmff "essere GANmof Athe city of Montreal, l:intlieIioire iiice of Quebec, Dominion of Canada, asubclaretliat ve followingis afull7 Clear, and

strength,

pensive sub exact description thereof, Y, My inventionzconsists'iii a new article of rubber manufacture and a Vprocess for pro# ducing the saine.

Brieiy, the

combined with great extensibility and tensile together with certain j means of achieving thiseombination of properties.l

The'new article findsa distinctly novel and Valuable application: in the manufacture of leather-like parts of allsorts, such, for example, as the soles of shoes. Also, it has already found neWand important applications, vas when used as Ythe lining or inner layer of rubber footwear of all `kinds, be ing in this respect asatisfactoryand inexor knitted stitute for l Wo-Ven as commonly fabric uses such as travelling bags,`. yflooring,shock Yrange of applications, as is vthe art.

Wasjainore urgent'need for a third rubber compositions,vviz; one which might .unite the 'extensibility and therefore immunity Yfrom fracture.of` the formen class with the irmnessorrigidity ofthe latter class.

Various attempts havefbeenliiiade to achieve such a composition, View to] theY :production of-a tation leather Ysoling material socalled imi: Vwhich :might y Inorderelearly newv aiticleis a composition of Vulcanizedrubber possessing semi-rigidltv used .inthe art. 'The' new substance is Aalso applicablejto' diversV lbs.

'and thewlatter high final these two `classesoit-substances as for some yearsibeenfrecogniaed that ehieywith aV has been secured through With the rubber ofcoarseii footwear.'

eather and other The "results of been'g only :partiallysuccessful'. degreev of: rigidity Y i case therehas 'to define the class 'O'fubbei1 compositions which successfully produced and. which I verily believe torconstitiite a distinctly novel in venti'on.V f

The semi-rigidity to Wliich'I havejreferredresistance to deformation such thatV stretch a piece oi' the vulcani twice f its original length inch of Voriginal cross section; Thi-sfdegree oi: rigidity Aembodies the requisite feel and for use Vlfor example, vas fora shoe.

N 0WY my inyention contemplatesaproduct or composition which injf addition todis@ ,giditl TT'or stiffness, isneyertlieless capablejof Y Y l y live'or.even sixtinies its originallength before rupturing, andai-so being stretched'to four all thesel attempts 'f 'have' suli'icient" v has, itis. true,V been ire# d ]qu'ent'ly achieved, but inevery y ef l is A contemplatedin -v this-invention, I shallindicatethe scope of;

i Y replace leather tor use in ,tlie' "Outsolesof'fi Beit known that I, VifnmniirBRmN'Wni- 1 y y Y Y* Y may be defined as, a degree of stiffness on Y to Zed V product to` Y requiresfga force 'equal tofformsay 670ftofl600 lbs-.per square stiffness 'desired in a compositiondesignedf a leather-like sole vdevelops wheny stressedA to rupture v4a; final:

tensile strengthranging 111101113500 to=4500 per square inchfo'f o r'iginalfcross:secuonh vThis high extensibility combined 'with (or brealringfstrength, ensures for this compostiona resistance to Wear and i tear, anda which attained inthe artii I repeat that inthe art therehave been produced these compositions meansnsed inftlie past and artthis Vincreased rigidity rubber l compositions Vexhibiting- .tlie degreeof rigidity described i;above,. but;

' hayeflached the degree of strength and-extensibility lindic'zated in constituting my i'nvention.v

freedom.' ieioinlpremature failure f I believe 1&0 be new-and hitherto Vjuiiffol) the `specific 'examples referred-to, and I -sh"al 1 jV tlie.- admixture bronsY matter of 7o tlievarious physical properties vWhich IV have v or wool kwaste has'V beenY used for this pur- `annee.

Y. distinct' new prope lampblack.

of the product.'

'100 parts and proportion, the qualities desired.

vthe stocking etc., maybe made according' 'to my inven-V it is' 'cut to' pattern" and pose; lnV otherfcases ground leather'ror 'cork hasV been chosen. .In still other c a'sesfsu stances such as china clay hare been used, in this case theY Well known fibrous or'y acieii; lar'characterof the crystals bei n the agency through which New my in'v''ntienjeenteinplates a totally and 4dier'ent means of securing the desired 'dity and combining' With it the i leser strength and extensibility..

l choose thejyery finest andleast fibrous materials known to the art, and admix these indefinite proportions with .the rubber and i.ul'canizin'g agents which `are' ali'yays 'used te` ensure ai satisfactory'degree of yulcaniza These agents are by no means new in the art.A The most approved ones l have so far used'a're for example, carbon gas black and These chemicals are in daily use inthe art as coloring and 'strengthening yingredients inf the manufacture of soft rubber goods referred to above.

As atypical case l vadd to each 100 parte by iyeightof crude rubber, S0 parts by weight of `carbon or gas blacl'; and a sufricientjq'uantity of `sulphur and litharge to achieve the desired degree o't-vulcanization rlhis when vulcanized produ'ces.v 'a product combii'iingV relatively high rigidity' lwith high extensibility and breaking strength. Y l Y l, may use only'GO parts or fmay use secure in ea'clrc'ase, in Varying' 'ln somecases luse combinations of rcarbon :or lampblac-lr with Yother and V coarser fillers s ujch'as ycarbonate 'of magnes ium or zinc' oxide, etcQ But in each vcase use la co'inparatiw'elyA high percentage of the highf ly v puli'erulent'Carbon or lainpbl'aCk.r

Bub-ber footwear 'of all kinds, including lon(l oyer'sho'es `as 'commonly Worn over leather footwear, `and also hea-Vy boots of all heights as Worn over leather footwear., and also hea-Vy.Y boots oflall 'heights as by miners, farmers, ishermen,

ti'omthe eife'ct beingthat for the first time an article of rubber footnfcar consistingV integrally of rubber.compound" throughout is produced.y Y i Y Heretofore'all articles of footwear have knitted fabric lining,A made sometimes of cotton, soinetiniesof Woo-l, sometimes of Ymixtures of the'tno., and the common'fmethod 'of manufacturing footwear has been to subi ect this fabric lining to several rubberizing processe's, eitherby means of a s'o-called spreading machine `or cna calender, after which the various pieces the desired 'rigidity is ob' Aalways costs less left ever'when worn over4 Vthe usual This 'outeri shellof applied byV hand in the ymannerWell-linonm tothe art. Y VThe 'object of my'inven ing' thisk fabric liningfand lining of rubber 'compound to reduce the dif- 'culty yandnumber ofv the rubberizing processes referred to aboye, and, cost' of manufacture. by reason ofthe fact Vthat rubber compound than Y 'Woven Vor fabric, because of Athe greater its preparation. Again, I achieve and important economy by'yir'tue of the fact that 'Whereas the; cuttings orrwaste material the fabric' knitted simplicity of? a furtherV iinme'simben. cnt to'y pattern are, practically speaking, 'usev tion is eliininat- -iising instead a soV reduce'the This is also achieved k;

less, and no longer available 'for their original purpose, linings are c'ut fron-i Iny- 'rubber compound are inY a soft and plastic condition, Vand can' be readily Worked up c as if they were a' freshly'prepared ,o und.f 1 My invention, broadly stated, anY article of footwearponsisting exclusively of rubber' the cuttings leftover iyh'en'the' compound, vbut more,Y specifically itjcon'sists' of 'an article of footi'rear made up of'two,

or more conip'o'sitionsoffrubber compound, so prepared lining of compound, Vwhich' after v uleaniz'a'L tion iyill b 'eof diminished elasticityas Vcoin'- pare'd With the outer ,shell of"soft"rubberV compound, such asfisnow' used generally yin the art. In particular, I airnatfsiipplying an inner shell'of rubber compoundwhich,

after vu lcanization.v shall possess a degree of V'elasticity practically eqiiiifalent to stha-tlf the fabric'liiiiniig 'now the manufacture of .ri bber footweai'f'fz, For full comprehension,however, of'my invention, reference VInust'be had to the'ac-A c'ornp'anying; ldrawings in *which similar:ref,,V erence characters indicate the saine parts, and Wherein jf j 'Figure-1 is alongitudinal'sectionView 'of a rubber yshoe 'manufactured accordingV to myinvention; and y j Figure 27 is a trans-verse s'ectional'yiew thereof. s The body of thejshoc indicated atrBfis what hasy now usually a fabric .liningif i1 pound s0 prepared as to' impartfo4 inelastic. qualities substantially similar to. "those of fabric lining, vwhich are less than those characteristic ofolieusual outer used e'veryivherein as to supply an' inner shell or",

Yie:

shell of soft rubbenfrhiohis indicated at f Y tei-proof coyerin' the soft V"rubber compound vhas a lcomp tively'. higher manufacturing.

degre'e of elasticity', and is calendered in the-usual Way` and ppliedto' d inthe mannerjcominon everywhere Vin .the agrtf'o'f rubber footwear Vmy invention' it consist' vv'of'a rubber coin'- lil Vinner shell of more Despite these differences in elasticitybe-Y of softfrubber and the rigid or Vless 'elastic rubi ber, the two are nevertheless compounded with the same basic material, `and'so upon vulcanization fuse rable whole,-being= in this way totally distinct 'and superior tothe existing type of rubber. footwear, Y relatively incomplete fusion of the fabric lining with the rubberouter shell, are liable to separate andso subjected to the w usage f tween the outer shell The inner .shell of more rig'id rubber,V of'my lnven-'VV which is an essential feature tion, may be prepared in anyvof Vthe ways common to the art of rubber. compounding.

Thus, for example, I may secure the eri- V of vulcang thereby advancing the hanced rigidity by suitable choice izing ingredients, rubber to aV higher degree of vulcanization. Again, I may incorporate into the rubber a suitable proportion of finely divided pigment or other pulverulent substances, which Y' as well known, have the effect of reducing the elasticity of the compound. Again, I have achieved the desired degree of rigidity b y admixing with the,V rubber various centages of finely ground cotton or woolen bre, such as is commonly. sold as a byproduct of textile factories.v In any of these sivestretch of elasticity of the rubber and so make it similar in behaviour to the more or less rigid fabric lining now universally used in the manufacture of rubber footwear.

T owever, of all means inventionv the compound consisting of rubber together with the necessary vulcanizingV ingredientsand the substance known as car` bon or lampblack, this being a finely divided pigment consisting essentially of the ele*` tion of my rubber shoe. To meet certain re-Q` quirements together into an insepal'V which by virtue of the' fail prematurely when. ar and' tear of actual `and an inner layer pound of relatively lesselastic quality. i

2.Y An article of'footwear consisting of i perchief Neith'er do IV for eXample,`in thetoe and counter regions acompound of-a third and still `higher .degree-ofjrl'gidity may be vused in Y Y connection with certain partsV of my shoe, as:

within the broadl conception `of myinvention. .Y Y

In conclusion I wouldY say thatthe novell Y effects which I have secured are due tothe Y use of. high percentages of these' pigments calculated to theainount of crude rubber presenti.v I do not limit myself to Ythe two substancesknown Yas carbon and lampblack,

because any-other very finely divided substance or substances may be employed without departing from 'the spirit of my invene tion. j

vFurthermore `lto meet certain'requirements otherv equally iine orgfiner'pigments may be employed with slightly Alessor more than Vt e proportions mentioned within the spirit of my invention.'y Y Y. y y lWhat I claim is as follows Y V '1. An article ofV footwear and upper portions and consistingv of, an outer layer off comparatively soft rubber,

consisting ofrubber comanouter'shell or layer of relatively soft bber'compound in contact with a layer of rubb the sameelasticity as a includ-ing sole i er compound possessing substantially. wovenfabricllning. q

n article of footwear consisting vof an outer layer of. relatively soft rubber in con-y elastic rubber compound, vfthe y last-.mentioned rubber essential ingredienta` finely divided pulverulent Substance. VV

' An article of footwear consisting of an outer layer or layers ofrelativelyfsoftrubber compound in contact with an inner layer o f less elastic rubber compound, .the lastmentioned rubber compound containing as an essentialingredient carbon in vided, pulverulent condition.

`tact with an inner layer ofsubstantially less f o compound containing as an i 5. An article of footwear consisting of'ua layer contact with a layer of relatively less elastic rubber compound, containingV as anessential ingredient between fifty (50) and one hun-v dred parts by weight carbon to each one hundred (100) weight yof crude rubber in theV compound.

Intestimony whereof I have signed my name to'this specification in the presence of Y two witnesses. Y Y

Y WILLIAM Bv.'WIEGANI),

iVitnesses: i

GoRnoN G. COOKE, IRENE CLORAN..

of finely Ydivided parts byV or layers of relative/ly soft rubber in i 

